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Company Story

Who We Are

Outset Media is a privately held company based out of Victoria, BC and founded by its president, David Manga, in 1996. Since then, Outset Media has produced high quality games that promote learning, fun, and family time.

What We Do

Outset Media designs, distributes and manufactures board games, card games and puzzles. In addition to its own games and line of Cobble Hill Puzzles and Jack Pine puzzles, Outset Media also distributes the products of other companies, including MindWare, Patch, Popular Playthings, Late for the Sky, Fat Brain Toys, Maranda Enterprises, Mojo, Toobeez, Monkey Business Sports, SmartLab Toys, Pressman, Spin Master, Mayfair Games, Mirari, Lauri, Smethport, Royal & Langnickel, and D-Toys Puzzles.

How We Do It

Outset Media employs approximately 32 people in total, with 14 people at its Victoria office, as well as some inside sales reps in Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal and Nova Scotia. We also have a team of outside sales reps across the United States. Our International Sales Director is based out of Toronto, Ontario. The product developement and creative design is managed in-house at the Victoria location. We have our own 30,000 square foot warehouse in Brampton, Ontario from which products are shrink-wrapped and shipped all across North America. Without our wonderful warehouse team, we would not be able to provide the fast and efficient service our retailers depend on.

Where We Do It

We outsource the manufacturing of our games to companies in Canada, USA and China. Though, David Manga's commitment to environmental stewardship has Outset Media manufacturing more games in North America. In 2012, American Trivia, one of Outset Media's best-selling games was wholly manufactured in the United States. The Professor Noggin's card games, one of our oldest and best-selling card games has always been manufactured in Canada. The entire line of big box Cobble Hill puzzles is manufactured in the United States as well.

Why We Do It

Because games matter. In an age of the Internet and video games, David Manga believes traditional games encourage family interaction and communication.

David Manga grew up in Ottawa, Canada. He was just 23 when he founded Outset Media in 1996. He was still a student completing his BCom at the University of Ottawa, from which he graduated in 1996. He launched his first game, All Canadian Trivia, while still at university. After playing another well-known trivia game and realizing he knew more about the United States than his own country, he wanted to play a trivia game with a Canadian focus. When he couldn’t find one, he created All Canadian Trivia. That game went on to become a Canadian best-seller (more than 100,000 copies sold) and spawned Junior, French and Millennium editions, a Supplemental Question set, and the 10th Anniversary Edition.

In 2002, Manga created the first games in the Professor Noggin’s card game series.

This popular series now numbers 39 games, which have won many major awards, receiving honors from the likes of the Parent’s Choice Foundation, the National Association for Gifted Children and Scholastic Instructor Magazine. In 2013, Professor Noggin's released its first Special Edition card game, "Fifty States", featuring double the content.

In 2005 Outset Media introduced the Cobble Hill Puzzle Company. Each and every puzzle from the Cobble Hill Puzzle Company is meticulously crafted to exacting quality standards, using the finest inks and varnishes for a crisp and vivid image.

Outset Media is known for its excellence in customer service and in the manufacturing of quality products and has been honoured with such awards as:

2002: Vancouver Island Business Excellence Award for Manufacturer of the Year.

2003: Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce named David Manga 'Young Entrepreneur of the Year'.

2003-2005: Profit Magazine ranked Outset Media as one of Canada’s Fastest-Growing Companies for three straight years.

2004-2007, 2010: Outset Media has been the Neighbourhood Toy Stores of Canada (NETS) 'Supplier of the Year' five times. '